candidly own the fame inability. Not fo Mr. D. He, with Lyncean eyes, unravels the whole, by difcovering the characters fpecifying the century, contrary to Wallis and Ward, in the fame compartment, as the M denoting the thousandth year; and thus makes out the whole to be intended for 1533. To us it appears, that no part of the date can be pronounced upon for certain but the 33, which figures, having their lower extremities reverted, are not unlike the fhape of thofe Arabic numerals then in ufe. The roses, Mr. D. thinks, may be deemed coetaneous embellishments. The initials, W. R. are alfo plain, and can be referred to no other but the rector before-mentioned.

"From an extract of the register of John (Longland) Bishop of Lincoln, communicated by Mr. Fardell to Mr. Gough, it appears that William Ranalde, master of arts, was in 1523 admitted at Buckden to the rectory of Helmdon, on the prefentation of the mafter and brethren of the hofpital of St. John near Northampton. But when he vacated the benefice, or whether by refignation, ceffion, or death, is not known. Mr. Gough writes, " unfortunately the register of the parish does not begin till 1570, which is ten years after the time of the next fucceffor noticed in Brydges' lift of the incumbents, and Helmdon church having been completely new paved," Mr. Gough looked in vain for any fepulchral veftige of him. Should his will be difcovered, it may afford fome material intelligence concerning him*. At prefent there is a strong prefumption of his having built the rectory-houfe; and after duly weighing the feveral circumftances alledged to establish the early ufe of Arabic numerals from the Helmdon date, I fcruple not to plead, that it ought to be ftruck out of the record. It being also undeniable, that as the Arabic numerals on the out-buildings at Preston Hall could not have been carved before the conclufion of the 16th century, there must be in them a retrofpective allufion to the date of the year, and confequently this is another cafe not in point." P. 147.

As it does not appear by the register at Lincoln, who fucceeded W. R. in the rectory, and as that register has been kept with remarkable care, we remember it was obferved to Mr. D. at the time, when he was engaged in this enquiry, that it might be concluded he was rector in 1541, when the fee of Peterborough was founded, and that his fucceffor's inftitution might perhaps be found amongst the early records of that diocefe, where it was probable his will might alfo be difcovered. On this fuggeftion Mr.D. inferted a letter in the Gent. Mag. for 1796, p. 1012, foliciting information on these particulars from any correfpondent at Peterborough, of the antiquary caft. But as no notice is taken of this circumftance in this paper, it does not appear that any fatisfactor answer was obtained. Rev.

Having configned thefe infcriptions to the neglect which they deferve, Mr. D. next notices that on a brafs fepulchral plate in Ware church (1454) as being the earlieft yet difcovered; whence Mr. Gough had deduced a weighty argument, that from their not appearing on fepulchral monuments till this time, the Arabic numerals could not have been common among us before the 15th century. After an enquiry into the earlieft ufe of thefe characters, in fpecifying the dates of deeds, and in numbering the leaves or pages of books in MS. Mr. D. examines the well-known paffage in Matt. Paris's hiftory, relative to the introduction of the Greek numerals by the Archdeacon of Leicester, and Mr. North's comment upon it in Archæologia, X. 375.

"It being exprefsly mentioned, that John de Bafing imported into this country the Greek numerals, is it not an overftrained critical amendment to affert, that the characters were not Greek, but Indian numerals, and new named by fome uncertain continuator of the hiftory, because they paffed from India through Greece to England ? Such a fundamental alteration will be deemed lefs juftifiable, if it be confidered, that the perfon in queftion was the most eminent Greek fcholar of his age; that he travelled into Greece, and abided at Athens, for the purpose of improving himself in the Greek language. That when he returned home, he brought with him feveral Greek MSS. that he fpirited youths to the ftudy of the Greek language; and that for the ufe of the ftudious he tranflated into Latin an edition of a Greek grammar. Nor from the relation we have of him does it.. appear, that he extended his travels beyond Athens, or that he was converfant in the eastern literature and fciences. We learn, however, that he communicated to his intimate acquaintance the knowledge and the fignification of thefe figures; and from the brief explanation given of them by the hiftorian, who has likewife contrafted them with two other kinds of numerals, it may, I think, be demonstrated, that he must have meant Greek figures." P. 150.

When Matthew Paris, in fpeaking of the Greek nuinerals, observes that the thing moit to be admired in them was, that by a fingle figure any number is reprefented, he adds, " quod non eft in Latino vel Algorifmo," which is not the cafe in the

Latin

* Edit. Watts, p. 721. In the copy of his hiftory in Corpus Chrifti Coll. Cambr. this paffage is given more fully, and, as the late Dr. Pegge thought, from his own pen; where a fpecimen is alfo added of thefe Greek characters, with their value in Roman numerals annexed. The curious reader may fee this in Dr. Pegge's life of Bishop Groffetefte, P. 347, who remarks upon this mode of numeration, that "it may be juftly admired for its fimplicity; but could not be fo well applied to

the

Latin numeration, or in Algorifm. Now as it is agreed by the glotlariffs, that the word algorifmus is of Arabic etymology, and denotes numbering, Mr. D. thinks, that Arabic figures mult be meant by it; which, though they might be known to the hillorian, yet that it may be reasonably inferred, he was not aware of their amazing capabilities; otherwife," he could never, as figures, have given a preference to the Greek letters."

"But fince it is clear, that Arabic numerals were not unknown to Matt. Paris, how are we to account for Chaucer in his Dreme*, ftyling them newe figures? The probable folution of this difficulty is, that thefe figures ten had been then but lately ufed for the addition and fubtraction of pounds, fhillings, and pence; and the furmife acquires Argus, the weight from the concomitant words of the poet, that " noble contour, counted with them in his countour." And yet proof is wanting of this ule of the vulgar figures from the time of Chaucer, to an advanced period of the 16th century. In books (writes Mr. North) they were doubtlefs firft ufed, and books have been examined to no purpofe. Imagining, that though the fearch had been fruitlefs in the libraries of feveral colleges in Oxford, fome examples might be traced in the books of accompts upon the fhelves, and in the boxes of the Burfar's apartments, I hinted a wifh to Mr. Ellis to purfue, when quite conven ent, this new line of enquiry." P. 156.

This gentleman, whom Mr. D. mentions as being then at very young ftudent in St. John's College in Oxford, with a ftrong and very ufeful propenfity to antiquarian refearches, very readily acceded to this request, and the refult of his examination was, that, in the Burfary accounts of All Souls, the Roman numerals are ufed till the beginning of the 18th century; in thofe of Exeter, till within about 30 years ago; and of the other college accounts, none occur, wherein the Arabic numerals are ufed, till within the last 50 or 70 years."

Notwithstanding the circulation in print of different treatifes of arithmetic, from an early period of the 16th century (moft of them being here enumerated)" which were to teach to reckon in a fpeediet method than had been hitherto purfued," this is an additional proof of the little progrefs made in the art. It is, however, well accounted for by Mr. D. who further afcribes it to the inattention of the first founders of public

the purposes of arithmetic as our present figures, because the fimilarity of the characters would fubject us to perpetual, and fometimes important, miftakes. It would require a very nice and accurate pen in a writer, which difqualifies it for ready and common ufe." Rev.

* Line 430, & feq. See alfo Gent. Mag. vol. liii, p. 406, where Chaucer's verfes are quoted.

fchools,

1

Fchools, who made no kind of provifion for arithmetical knowledge.

"Of grammar fchools there was not a fcarcity, "there having been more erected and endowed within 30 years before the Reformation, than there had been in 30 years preceding. So that, as Dr. Knight fuggefted, there wanted rather a regulation than an increase of them." But not in any grammar fchool, as I fufpect, was the science of arithmetic a branch of the original institution. A knowledge of the primary rules of it was not a previous qualification for admiffion into them. What was required of a scholar expectant was, "that he should be able to rede and write fufficiently his own leffons in Latyn and Englyfhet." Not any ufher or affiftant was provided to teach this" ground of arts," or to fupply to the scholar a cup out of this "well-fpring of fciences:" nor was an hour in a week appropriated for this effential branch of erudition. This was an overight in the establishment of schools, which at that time, and long afterwards, had its inconveniences. And, whatever may be the prefent ufage, it is within recollection, that 50 years ago there were fent from capital fchools to the univerfity, youths of good abilities, and not by any means wanting in grammar and claffical learning, yet fo little verfed in the vulgar figures, as to be obliged to have recourse to the mafter of a day-fchool in the town, for inftruction in the four fundamental rules of arithmetick." P. 164.

To the truth of this remark, every perfon of any confiderable standing in the univerfity can bear witnefs; and even at this time it is notorious, that the ftudents from the northern schools, where attention is paid to arithmetic and mathematics, go up to college with particular advantages over those, who have been educated in the public schools of the metropolis, and other, ancient feminaries; efpecially at Cambridge, where all the honours are affigned to a proficiency in the various branches of mathematics.

If we have given thefe differtations a very minute examination, we think ourfelves fully juftified by the importance of the fubject, as it is generally allowed, "that, next to the art of printing, there is no invention of more extensive use than that of the numeral figures or cyphers." Mr. D. has purfued the investigation, through 62 pages, with fingular affiduity; having directed his fearch to fources unexplored by former enquiries. In our ftrictures on the preceding volume of this publication, it may be recollected, that we did not beftow our commendation upon his mode of reafoning; but we are happy, at

* The Life of Dr. John Colet, Dean of St. Paul's, p. 100.

+ Ibid. p. 124.

F

BRIT. CRIT, VOL. XVII. JAN, 1801.

parting,

parting, to be able to fpeak thus favourably of thefe papers. We have, indeed, beftowed upon them a fuller attention than common, both on account of their intrinfic merit, and because, with regret we write it, they are the last that will come under our review from this author.

(To be continued.)

ART. XII. An Attempt to illuftrate fome of the Prophecies of the Old and New Teftament. By Thomas Zouch, A. M. 12mo. 240 pp. 35. 6d. Wakefield printed; fold by Payne, &c. London. 1800.

THE

HE importance of this book muft by no means be estimated in proportion to its fize. It contains within a narrow compafs much fcriptural learning; much wife and able confideration; and much temperate, though firm oppofition, to opinions which the author confiders as ill-founded. Mr. Zouch (we prefume, the fame who published, in 1796, the valuable edition of Ifaac Walton's Lives) has here brought together fome lately agitated paffages of the prophetic Scriptures, with a view to illuftrate their defign. He particularly opposes the application of the prophecies concerning Antichrift to atheistical France, adhering to the opinion established by fuch a weight of Proteftant authority, that Papal Rome is the true object of thofe predictions. On this ground, he is obliged immediately to oppose the late Mr. Jones of Nayland, whofe difcourfe on the Man of Sin" certainly took up that idea in too hafty a manner. He opposes him, however, with the refpect and esteem due to fo valuable a character.

"If any name be dear to facred literature, it is that of the late Mr. Jones of Nayland. In his difcourfe on the Man of Sin, he declares, that " one remarkable Sign of the last day has not hitherto received an adequate interpretation"-" that volumes have been written with great uncertainty of interpretation, depending upon facts, which, however bad in their way, did certainly never come up to the description of St. Paul." He confiders the term apoftacy as implying ❝ an apoftacy from the Christian faith”—" a total rejection from the Chriftian Religion, not a partial deviation from it by the admiffion of fome particular doctrines or practices." When the Man of Sin is represented as oppofing and exalting himfelf above all that is called God, Mr. Jones explains the words as denoting an oppofition to Kings and Rulers. He fuppofes the reftraining power mentioned by the Apoftle to be "the reftaining power of government, and the obligations of law,"